“Use an accordion, go to jail!”The accordion was the favorite musical instrument in San Francisco for 50 years. There were accordion factories and many accordion schools and accomplished musicians. Parades of hundreds of accordion players marched on Market Street. However, when Rock and Roll and the electric guitar became wildly popular with youth in the 1950s, the accordion was stigmatized and the butt of jokes, as a symbol of rejected traditional values. This status remained for over thirty years until slowly, the accordion became appreciated and included again for its beautiful sound and versatility.